The Run
by abeatticus
Summary: Once upon a time Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke were best friends. Childhood friendships, however, often don't survive the transition to high school.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer-I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_

* * *

Chapter 1

Jess Aarons thought he must be crazy as he stared out his bedroom window into the cold, dark morning. He was already freezing and that was with a blanket wrapped around him and socks on his feet. Yet, somewhere inside him there was an itch to go for a run. Early morning runs were as much a part of his day as breakfast and going to school or they used to be at least. Since the 5th grade Jess turned his love of running into a ritual. At one point it bordered on obsession as he was determined to become the fastest boy in the fifth grade. He smiled briefly as he remembered that day. That day he lost his bid to claim that illusory title. That of course was the day he met Leslie Burke. Jess's smile disappeared and he sat back down on his bed and fought the urge to go back to sleep. Still groggy and now thoroughly depressed he reached for his running shoes and began to put them on. He quickly muttered a curse word as he realized he forgot his socks. Jess fumbled through the dark and found a pair of socks and began the process all over again. As he laced up his shoes he was amazed at how fresh they felt. After quitting cross-country the year before the lifespan of his shoes seemed to extend significantly. It was one positive benefit from giving up something he loved.

Jess slipped out of his room, downstairs and out the front door with hardly making a noise. The last thing he wanted to do was wake anybody in his family. This was the only peaceful time the house ever experienced and he loved it. He picked up a slow jog as he headed down the path to the main road. He glanced over at the house next door. Once upon a time it was commonly referred to as the old Perkins place until Bill and Judy Burke bought it. Now it was better known as the home of Leslie Burke. He looked up to her window then pressed on with his run.

Jess plodded down the old dirt road and continued to question the wisdom of getting up earlier than necessary just for a run. Yet, he couldn't deny he loved the solace the experience gave him. It was like recharging his batteries. As he picked up the pace he reached the end of the dirt road and crossed through an old wooden gate and into an open field. Though familiar with the terrain the morning darkness left the landscape shrouded from view. Jess began to second guess each step he took. As he compensated for his lack of vision Jess suddenly felt one foot sink unexpectedly throwing the rest of him forward in a violent jerk. He slammed into the frost covered ground with one knee absorbing the brunt of the impact.

Jess felt a surge of pain flow through his knee. It didn't help that the ground was extra firm due to the December temperatures. He rolled onto his back clutching his knee as he winced in pain.

"Just had to go for a run didn't ya' Jess?" he muttered to himself. As he opened his eyes Jess noticed a break in the clouds and saw the twinkling lights of the stars. For that moment his mind forgot about the pain in his knee and thought only of her. The stars reminded him of the sparkle he saw in her eyes. Leslie Burke had the most beautiful eyes he ever saw. They gleamed with life and combined with her smile made an unbeatable combination. Jess smiled and struggled to get to his feet. His knee cried in pain as he put pressure on it. For a moment Jess wondered how he would get home if he couldn't make it on his own. He didn't have a cell phone and nobody knew where he went on his "therapy jogs" as his sister Maybelle called them. Well, nobody that is except Leslie.

To his relief and somewhat disappointment Jess found that his knee was bruised but not broken. He was able to walk albeit slowly and with a limp. Each step felt like a hot poker was being stabbed into his leg. To add to his misery the wind picked up and began to cool the sweat that dripped down his back.

"This isn't a very promising start to the day" he said as he began the long walk home. He trudged along the road occasionally looking up to the stars as they began to make way for the daylight sky. Seeing the sunrise was a forgotten treat that came with the morning runs. Jess remembered how much he used to look forward to seeing the sun rise. It wasn't something he saw much of anymore even when he was up early enough to do so. He just seemed to lose interest in them. It was similar to how he felt about the holidays. Just a couple years ago this time of year would have been Jess's favorite. He loved Christmas, from the multi-colored lights and Christmas trees to the old cartoon specials that came on television every year. Jess didn't welcome it this year. The holiday was three weeks away and he dreaded the whole affair. Even his family picked up on his gloom which was amazing to Jess since he considered himself a ghost in the household. His youngest sister Joyce-Ann had taken to calling him 'Scrooge' while his mom just looked upon him with sad eyes and a worrisome smile.

As Jess neared his home he instinctively glanced over at his neighbor's house, specifically her window. The bedroom light was on and he thought he saw the shadow of someone in the window Jess stopped and stared but quickly realized his eyes must have been playing tricks on him. With the curtains drawn he couldn't possibly have seen anyone. Jess reluctantly limped away and disappeared into his house to get ready for another day.

* * *

Jess scanned the cafeteria for an empty table while trying with all his might not to drop his tray. He quickly realized carrying a back pack full of books with a tray of food and a limp didn't go well together. Off in the corner he spied a lonely table and made his way for it. He eased into a seat and breathed a sigh of relief. Anytime spent off his leg was time he appreciated. Jess took a couple bites of his frito-chili pie when he heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Jess, mind if I sit here?" Jess looked up to see Kyle Travis, a tall, lanky teen that accounted for his only real friend these days.

"Hey Kyle, have a seat" he said pointing to an empty chair. Jess quickly noted that his friend's blonde hair was freshly cut in a distinctly military style. It didn't surprise Jess. If Kyle Travis was known for anything it was his love for the United States Marine Corps. The boy had been obsessed from an early age with becoming one of the few, the proud. He was teased mercilessly by other students for his desire. Kyle simply didn't fit the profile of a potential marine. In high school society he fell somewhere between nerd and nobody. It was one reason Jess always liked him. Kyle never belonged to any 'crowd' or clique. He was just Kyle. In spite of all the harassment he wasn't deterred from chasing his dream. If anything Kyle found motivation in the abuse he received.

"Don't tell me you went and joined over the weekend?" Jess asked as he pointed to his friend's new haircut.

"Nah, can't join 'till I'm eighteen" he said as he began stirring his frito-chili pie into some strange concoction. "Well, that's not exactly true," he corrected himself. "Technically I can join since I'm seventeen but I'd need my parent's signatures."

"And that's not gonna happen" Jess added with a laugh.

"Not in a million years" Kyle replied. "But that's okay, I can wait. Besides the marines aren't going anywhere" he said with his trademark big smile. "What'd you do to your leg Jess?" he asked after gulping down half his lunch in one bite.

"Huh?" Jess answered absent mindedly.

"Your leg, you've been limping all day."

"Oh, I went running this morning" Jess replied as he began to glance around the cafeteria. Kyle waited for Jess to provide more details but upon realizing he wasn't going to decided to find out for himself.

"I take it the run didn't go well then?" he asked.

"Huh" Jess said startled. "Oh, I tripped and landed on my knee…just bruised" he answered as his attention was clearly focused on something else. Kyle looked over to where Jess seemed fixated. It didn't take long to realize what had his friend's attention.

"Go talk to her Jess" Kyle said as the last half of his lunch disappeared in another gulp. Jess jerked out of his trance now aware he was being watched.

"Talk to who" he said sheepishly. Kyle rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"Come on Jess let's not forget I've known both of you since 7th grade. The beautiful blonde sitting at your 3 o'clock, hair in a pony tail who just happens to be staring at you right now."

"What?" Jess asked as he looked over his shoulder. Kyle was right she was staring at him. For a brief moment their eyes connected. Her soft green eyes with the sparkle like the stars were every bit as beautiful as the first time he saw them. They were the eyes of a queen, his queen. In that moment Jess remembered that day long ago on a bus ride home when she offered him a stick of gum. He remembered the smile that lit up her face like a beautiful sunrise when he accepted her act of friendship.

There was no smile on her face this day. She quickly glanced away and Jess reluctantly returned to his lunch. His appetite, however, was gone and he pushed his tray away. Kyle was the only mutual friend Jess and Leslie ever shared. They befriended him when he attracted the wrath of Scott Hoager and Gary Fulcher. Misery loves company and the three became good friends. Kyle was the only person Jess would talk to regarding Leslie. Even Maybelle learned to leave the subject alone.

"When are you two gonna get over yourselves?" Kyle exclaimed as he began to feast on Jess's leftover lunch.

"What do you mean get over ourselves?" Jess asked a bit irritated. "She needs to get over herself. I'm not the one that ran off as soon as some other friends came along" he said in anger. "Her boyfriends need to get over themselves too" he added. Jess's face was beginning to flush as he crossed his arms across his chest. Kyle knew he struck a nerve and did not really desire to make his friend any angrier. However, he was well aware how much the loss of Leslie's friendship was eating away at Jess.

"Sorry man, didn't mean to piss you off" Kyle said apologetically. He looked over where Leslie was sitting and saw that she was again staring at Jess. He couldn't understand how two people who were as close as Jess and Leslie could be so stubborn. In general he regarded both of them as above average when it came to maturity but this separation was bordering on absurd. He quietly returned to eating Jess's leftovers and turned his attention to his future aspirations in the Marine Corps.

* * *

Leslie quietly slipped through the front door cautiously looking around for any sign of her parents. Being several hours past her curfew on a school night wasn't likely to sit well with Bill or Judy. Leslie, however, was planning on both of them being too worn out by her baby brother to notice. They, along with her, were all suffering the effects of sleep deprivation in the wake of having a new born in the household. Judging from the silence in the house Leslie figured she was safe. She tip toed upstairs and inched her way into her room with the stealth of cat stalking its prey. Secure that she was out of harms way Leslie collapsed on her bed. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. The allure of some desperately needed shut-eye was powerful. However, the heavy backpack resting on her floor was full of homework that was in dire need of being completed.

She sighed and sat back up. Even worse now she was hungry. If she wished to do something about that it would entail another perilous journey down stairs into the kitchen where virtually everything made a noise that would wake her brother. Leslie decided the granola bar in her backpack was going to have to suffice. She hoisted the overburdened pack onto her desk and quietly fished for her snack. As she was pulling her books out she happened to look out her window which looked down on the front yard of the Aaron household. Leslie wondered what Jess was doing at that moment. Most likely he was drawing in his sketchbook. In all the years she knew him he always ended his evenings by sketching. Somehow she doubted that had changed. With a longing look she closed her curtains and sat down for a long night of studying.

It wasn't long before the tedious text of Dickens took a toll on the teen. Leslie was on the verge of nodding off when she heard the familiar chime of her cell phone signaling an incoming text message. Though not really in the mood to talk to anyone, even if only in text form, she instinctively reached over and flipped open her aqua blue phone. Leslie took one look at the message and groaned. Since entering the world of dating she quickly learned that giving out her phone number was something that required careful consideration. It needed to be guarded like a matter of national security. Leslie often joked that she was going to start requiring a background check on any potential boyfriend. Staring at the message she decided against responding. It only encouraged them when she did. She never understood how simply saying 'hi' to a guy gave them the idea she wanted to go out. Instead she shut off her phone and returned to Dickens.

Though she desperately wanted to sleep showing up to class with unfinished assignments simply would not cut it. It was out of character and her parents would never tolerate it. Well, if they actually knew that is. Leslie felt an odd sensation just then. Part of her wished Bill and Judy had caught her coming in late. It was odd in the sense that in the past few years she enjoyed the lack of attention she received from her parents. It gave her a certain level of independence. Before her teenage years Leslie would have given anything for Bill and Judy to pay more attention to her. Now with a baby in the house she became even more distant in their eyes. Of course when she had Jess the loneliness was never so bad.

"I'm thinking about him again" she said to herself. Ever since watching him hobble through the cafeteria Leslie couldn't stop thinking about him. It wasn't that she didn't think of Jess on a regular basis but today was different. When their eyes met for that brief moment she saw that same boy she befriended years earlier; the lost and lonely boy that became her best friend, the boy that accepted her for who she was, wild clothes and all. Today he seemed as lost as she felt. Of course Leslie was always surrounded by 'friends' but nobody like Jess. The deep connection she shared with him simply couldn't be duplicated with anyone else. If that was the case then why were they acting more like strangers then best friends? What happened to them? Even Bill and Judy grew concerned when they realized Jess was no longer their daughter's constant companion. They, like Leslie, trusted him. If anyone gave them piece of mind when it came to their rather reckless first born it was Jess Aarons. Yet, now it was like sitting down to dinner and finding only salt and no pepper.

Leslie was happy to see Kyle sitting with him at lunch. At least he wasn't alone. Kyle was a good friend, someone they both had relied on in the past. Now he was the only bridge between the former king and queen of Terabithia.

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A/N: As always thank you for reading


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to all who read the first chapter. I appreciate the comments/suggestions. It always helps to have feedback.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_

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Chapter 2

By the end of the week Jess's knee was noticeably better. His limp was gone as well as the pain that accompanied it. His father said it was the gift of youth which Jess could hardly argue with. To his own surprise he found himself springing out of bed early Friday morning ready to tackle another run. Jess wasn't sure why he suddenly found a new desire to run but he was happy for the feeling nonetheless. Perhaps it was Kyle's incessant badgering to have a running partner to help him train for boot camp. Kyle's enthusiasm to train was infectious. It reminded him a bit of how zealous he and Leslie used to approach running. The first year they tried out for cross-country they practically ran circles around their teammates. It was never a chore for them, never a task to be completed, running was just fun. Jess lost that somewhere along the way and he wanted to get it back.

He did some light stretching just outside his house. Jess knew he should probably wait at least another couple days to let his knee rest up but he couldn't wait. He glanced over at Leslie's bedroom window and was surprised to see her light on. Leslie was a notoriously difficult person to wake up in the morning. Jess had to literally drag her out of bed on occasion to ensure they were not late for school. When he first asked if she would join him for his morning runs he thought for sure she would turn him down flat. Yet, she eagerly accepted and Jess was ecstatic. He could only wonder what she was doing up so early. Perhaps she was going for a run?

"Stop it Jess" he scolded himself. "She's not thinking about you so what're you doing thinking about her?" He zipped up his hooded sweatshirt and began a light jog down the old dirt road. He quickly picked up his pace and was soon through the old wooden gate and into the rolling fields where he met disaster only a few days before. Jess was more sure footed this time and swiftly worked his way down a slippery slope and dug in to fight his way up an equally slippery incline. Jess pressed on at a furious pace as the sweat began to drench the cotton sweatshirt. It wasn't long before he found himself in a very familiar place. He slowed down to a jog and eventually stopped. Breathing heavily he looked around hoping he would see it. It wasn't long before he did. Like the ruins of an old forgotten ghost town the enchanted rope still hung as it always had.

* * *

Leslie couldn't believe she was getting up so early. It was still dark outside. Normally she would be tucked away in bed until the last possible moment. Yet, here she was lacing up her running shoes and preparing to voluntarily go out into the cold, frosty morning. She pulled her Lark Creek High School track suit out of a drawer and rummaged for her gloves. After putting her hair up she was ready to go. Leslie quietly made her way downstairs. She passed through the gold room on her way and stopped. There was always a sense of longing whenever she was in the room. The happy memories of its creation were dampened by the absence of someone special. On the mantle piece rested a picture of her and Jess. They were twelve years old and best friends. Propped up against a wall they ate popcorn and laughed happy just to be in each others company. Bill took the picture after they finished painting the gold room. It was a treasured memory, one she thought of often. Leslie sighed and continued on her way out of the warm, cozy house and into the frosty, dark morning.

She ran down the old familiar dirt road as the icy wind whipped across her face. The first rays of sunlight were just becoming visible as she reached the end of the road and crossed through the open gate. It was the first time in a long time that Leslie had been so close to Terabithia. For a moment she was quite impressed with how fast she was making the run. Of course once Leslie realized she had grown significantly since the last time she visited she just felt stupid.

"Taller, stronger, it's only natural you'd be faster Leslie" she said to herself rolling her eyes. She continued on feeling better, more alive the closer she got to her former kingdom. In her mind she imagined she was again racing Jess to the enchanted rope. She won every race until Jess had a growth spurt. Even then she gave him a run for his money. In the distance she could see the ravine. To her shock and surprise Leslie could see a lone figure sitting not far from the edge. The person appeared to be staring at the rope almost as if meditating. She took a few steps closer in hopes of seeing who it was. After all it was still the gateway to Terabithia, _their _kingdom. Even a prolonged absence did nothing to dissuade her sense of ownership of that particular piece of the forest. Leslie peered closely at the figure trying desperately to see who it was. Then like a sudden clap of thunder she knew who it was.

"Jess?" she said under her breath in surprise. She was frozen in place as she watched him. He made little movement other than occasionally looking across the creek to the other side. His shoulders were slumped forward and he had that adorable "hound dog" expression of his. Leslie was flooded with memories of flying across the creek into Terabithia with her king and ever faithful Prince Terrin close on her heels. Anything was possible in Terabithia. As king and queen Leslie and Jess defeated the dark master time and time again. Trolls, squogres, and all manners of evil were no match for the duo. Jess and Leslie were inseparable and nothing could crush them. At least that is what they thought.

Leslie sighed as she knelt down in the cover of a tree. It seemed they could fight and defeat any enemy as king and queen. Yet, as Jess Aarons and Leslie Burke they became victim to the universal experience of growing up. Time managed to do what the dark master never could, it separated the inseparable. Leslie felt a deep sadness overcome her as she looked again to Jess. Why did things change? Were they really that much different then when they first met? She was still Leslie Burke, the weird girl with no TV. Well, that wasn't entirely true. Her parents finally purchased a television and even a DVD player. They rarely watched it and Leslie only turned it on when her friends were over. Of course she did watch it a lot with her boyfriend, before they broke up that is. Jason Simms liked television more than anyone she knew, including Jess. He seemed to go into a different world once the remote was in hand. To her chagrin he never seemed to tire of flipping constantly through the channels. Leslie once joked to her parents that television was probably a more reliable form of birth control than the pill. Neither Bill nor Judy found the remark funny but Leslie was certain that not long afterwards her parents spoke about getting cable.

Of course with Jess there was never a need for television. They always managed to entertain themselves. More importantly they talked to one another. Leslie missed those talks more than anything. With Jess she never felt afraid to tell him anything. She confided in him and he confided in her. Leslie had several close friends but she would never speak to them about the kind of things she trusted Jess with. Yet, they were now only separated by a couple hundred feet at the doorway to Terabithia. Ironically, they couldn't have been further apart. Leslie couldn't even bring herself to walk over to him. Instead, she quietly slipped away and began a slow, depressing run home.

* * *

"Any plans this weekend Jess?" Kyle asked as he sat down in the seat across from his friend. Neither Jess nor Kyle had a car. So, while many of their peers began driving to school they found themselves stuck on the same old bus they had been riding for years. Jess found it humiliating whereas Kyle often saw it as an opportunity to catch up on sleep.

"Outside of my dad's list of chores and homework?" he said with a laugh.

"Another one of those weekends huh?" Kyle replied. "Well, take a look at this" he said handing Jess a piece of paper. It was a brightly colored flyer advertising something Jess had heard about.

"The Lark Creek 10K, 5K and fun run" he read aloud. As Jess read over the information he noticed a familiar blue sedan pass by the bus. He knew who the car belonged to and who was in it. Once the car was out of sight he turned his attention back to the flyer.

"I take it this is part of your preparation program for boot camp?" Jess said handing the flyer back to Kyle.

"That's right" he said carefully folding the piece of paper and placing it in his backpack.

"You remember that you still got a year before you can even join" Jess said as he glanced back out the window. "You've got plenty of time to get ready."

"It pays to have goals Jess" Kyle replied. "Besides this'll help you too." Now Jess was intrigued. He knew there had to be a reason Kyle showed him the flyer.

"How is you running a race gonna help me?" Jess asked.

"You're gonna run it with me" Kyle said coolly. Jess laughed.

"I'm gonna run it with you?" he asked still laughing.

"You and somebody else actually" Kyle added. Seeing that his friend was confused Kyle figured he should explain. "We can register as a team but we need a third person. The rules require at least three people to qualify as a team." Jess gave Kyle an odd glance.

"Why would I want to do this Kyle?" he asked. "You're the one joining the Marines."

"Because you need a goal Jess and I need someone to help me become a better runner" Kyle explained. "I know you're still bummed about having to leave cross-country. Well, you don't have to be on the cross-country team to run a race." Jess had to admit he was intrigued. Running was a passion he was trying to re-discover. Since quitting the team he had lost the only thing that gave him any way to cope with losing Leslie.

"Well when is the race?" Jess asked.

"Four weeks from tomorrow" Kyle replied. "All we gotta do is find a third person and we're all set. But we gotta find this person soon. The registration deadline is next week." Jess pondered the idea for another moment. It might be a good idea to have something to shoot for. As it was he felt like he was simply going through the motions everyday. Kyle was right he did need a goal. Jess needed something to break him out of the "funk" he was in.

"Well, who are we gonna get to join our team?" Jess asked after making his decision.

Kyle just smiled.

* * *

Leslie could hardly stay awake as Mrs. Stanners, her English teacher, was preaching the literary genius of _A Tale of Two Cities. _Though she finished the book the night before Leslie remembered little and at the moment didn't care. She wanted to sleep or at least be allowed a shot of espresso. Since neither was going to happen she did the best she could to stay awake. Wondering if anybody else was having trouble surviving the lecture Leslie scanned the classroom. Two rows away she spied Kyle Travis studying something very intently. It was obvious from his closed copy of _A Tale of Two Cities _that whatever held his attention wasn't the assignment at hand. She could only wonder what he was doing.

Kyle was always working on some kind of project. Back in the 7th grade he spent roughly an hour every day writing a story based on her, Jess and himself. It was a western with each of them occupying a role befitting their personality. Jess was a US Marshall, Kyle a soldier and Leslie an actress that wins the heart of the stoic lawman. Leslie wasn't sure why Kyle pegged her as an actress but she loved the romance angle he added. Though embarrassed, Jess didn't seem to mind either. By the end of the school year Kyle filled several notebooks and produced his own little "novel". He typed it up, saved it to a couple flash drives and gave them to Jess and Leslie.

"Kyle" Mrs. Stanners said with an authoritative tone. "What character said, 'It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.'

Kyle looked up from his desk and answered quickly,

"Sydney Carton as he was going to his death at the guillotine" Leslie smiled. She had to admit to being impressed. She knew Mrs. Stanners was trying to embarrass Kyle as an example to the other students to pay attention. "Oh, it was also said by Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In fact, the book features prominently in the movie. It starts when Mr. Spock gives…"

"That is enough Mr. Travis" Mrs. Stanners scolded. The tall, thin woman with granny glasses hated to be upstaged by a student. Leslie, of course knew that Kyle had no intention of trying to embarrass his teacher. His Star Trek analogy was sincere albeit funny. Regardless, it put an end to the lecture and gave Leslie a much needed jolt to wake her up.

Relieved that it was time for lunch Leslie gathered up her books and began to make her way to the cafeteria. Not being very fond of the cafeteria diet Leslie routinely brought her own lunch. She bypassed the line and headed directly for a table. It was the first few minutes of lunch that she enjoyed the most. Before her friends showed up she had the table to herself and a moment or two of peace and quiet. At least as much peace and quiet as can be found in a high school cafeteria. No sooner had she bit into her sandwich then she felt the jolt of somebody joining her at the table. It was most likely Megan she was generally the first to arrive after Leslie. Looking up she was surprised to see Kyle digging furiously through his backpack. Having secured whatever it was he was looking for he turned his attention to his friend.

"Hi Leslie" he said with that big smile of his.

"Hey Kyle" she said after hastily swallowing a piece of sandwich. "You joining me for lunch?" she asked rather pleased to see him.

"I would be happy too" he said smiling. "But I'm not sure the six-pack would welcome 'skinny jarhead guy" he said pointing to his hair. Leslie was about to say something but Kyle waved her off. "It's okay Leslie it doesn't bother me. It would be more grief for you than me anyway and I'm not here to cause you grief." Leslie hated and loathed the term "six-pack". It was the name given to her and five of her friends that generally sat together, hung out after school together, basically did everything together. Rumor was that the name apparently had less to do with their physical number and more with their affinity for alcohol. Anyone that knew Leslie Burke generally dismissed the notion of her being a drinker but the name stuck nonetheless.

"Kyle, you can sit with me anytime" she said. Though she meant it Leslie knew Kyle would never take her up on the offer. He wasn't intimidated by the six-pack like Jess was. Perhaps intimidated was the wrong word…he didn't hate the six-pack like Jess did. He just had an acute understanding of high school hierarchy.

"Leslie, I want to ask a favor" he said as he handed her the same flyer Jess read over earlier that day. "No worries if you can't or don't want to do it. You've got a much heavier school load then I do. I want to register a team for the race and I need at least three people" he said. "All I ask is you think it over. No answer necessary right now" he added as he cautiously scanned the cafeteria. "If you could just let me know by Monday, okay? Thanks Leslie." With that Kyle sprang up and was gone in a flash. Leslie quickly saw why he made such an abrupt exit. Coming around the corner were two members of the six-pack. Leslie hated herself for feeling relieved that Kyle was gone.

* * *

Jess was happy to see the week come to an end as he got off the school bus. He walked a few feet then stopped. He could hear the distinctive sound of voices but in particular Leslie's. Just through the trees he saw her and a couple others. It appeared to be Megan Dunlap and Jason Simms, two members of the illustrious six-pack. The sight of Simms made Jess's stomach turn and he quickly moved in the direction of his house. If there was someone Jess truly loathed it was Jason Simms. Scott Hoager had more redeeming qualities than Simms, at least in Jess's opinion. Jess could feel his blood beginning to boil. It was like someone flipped a switch and he just became enraged. He threw his backpack onto the front porch then turned around. He had to do something to work out his anger. Jess made his way back to the dirt road and burst into a full on sprint. Any lingering pain in his knee was gone as he pushed himself as hard as he could. In his mind all he could see was Leslie, Jason and her other friends. It was like pouring gas on a fire. It only incensed him more. His lungs began to burn as his body began to tire. He had no intentions of quitting, however. Once through the wooden gate Jess pushed himself even harder uphill and down never letting up until he saw it come into view. Just as he had left it that very morning the enchanted rope was waiting silently. This time without hesitation Jess ran to it, found a stick and reached out for the rope. Once he secured his grip he immediately launched himself across the creek.

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	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_

Thank you again to all who read the previous chapters and those that made comments/suggestions. I really do appreciate your time. Just for clarification in this story Jess and Leslie are about 16 maybe 17.

* * *

Chapter 3

Leslie and Megan waved goodbye as their friend drove away. Though it was Friday night they were not going to be joining the rest of the six-pack for a night of movies, eating pizza, and endless driving around the small town of Lark Creek. Though her friends had a wild reputation they were by her accounts fairly tame. Then again some of them did like to drink. She couldn't deny that. She didn't condone the behavior anymore then she condemned it. After all Leslie was guilty of sampling a beverage herself. Tonight, however the six-pack was minus two as Leslie and Megan made their way inside the Burke home. The two teens quickly disappeared into Leslie's bedroom.

"Hey Leslie, do you ever talk to Jess anymore?" Megan asked as she leafed through a magazine. Leslie turned away from her laptop and gave her friend a curious glance. Next to Jess and Kyle Megan was Leslie's oldest friend. She had long brown hair, a petite frame and dark brown eyes. Despite her short size she was a formidable runner and gave Leslie more than a challenge in cross-country. Of the members of the six-pack she was closest to Megan.

"Megan, you know the answer to that question. What're you trying to get at?" she asked suspiciously. Megan put down the magazine and looked up at Leslie.

"Okay, why aren't you and Jess friends anymore?" she asked more bluntly. "I saw you looking at him today Les. In fact I've seen you look at him an awful lot" she added. Megan was asking sincerely and not trying to tease and Leslie knew it. She was used to her friend's rather personal and upfront questions but Jess was still a difficult subject.

"Megan" she sighed. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yep, I'm afraid so" she replied. "It's time you face this demon head on." Leslie rolled her eyes and put her head down on her desk. One part of her wanted to run away and do anything but talk about Jess Aarons; the other part however wanted desperately to talk about him. Megan could see Leslie wasn't going to open up easily but she was prepared for that. "Listen Les, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything. It's just…"

"Just what?" Leslie asked.

Megan hesitated for a moment before answering. "Leslie, I know I don't really know Jess but from everything I've ever heard about you two it seems you were the best of friends."

"I never said we weren't" Leslie replied a bit irritated. "But people change, we changed, and…"

"That's just it Leslie" Megan interrupted. "You think that but…"

"But what Megan?" Leslie demanded. "Why do you even care about what happened between Jess and me?" Megan was silent perhaps stunned by her friend's sudden attack.

"Because I lost a best friend once that's why" Megan said quietly with her head tucked into her chest. "You have no idea what that's like Leslie. You have no idea how much that hurts." Megan was clearly upset.

"Megan, when you say lost do you mean…"

"He's dead Leslie" Megan answered.

"Oh, I'm…I'm sorry" Leslie replied almost in a whisper. She felt terrible for being rude towards her friend. "I never knew about…um…your friend" she said awkwardly.

"His name was Casey" Megan replied as she wiped a few tears from her yes. "I met him when I was ten he was my next door neighbor. Naturally I introduced myself" she said with a smile. Megan was the epitome of an extrovert. Leslie had never known anyone so outgoing. "Casey was beyond shy" she continued. "So much so that his parents were convinced something was wrong with him."

"Then you came along?" Leslie asked.

"Yeah, then I came along" Megan said smiling. "He opened up to me. He just came out of his shell and became my best friend. His mom said it was like magic." Megan told the tale of a blossoming friendship between two different yet inseparable kids. Two kids lost in their imaginations discovering new worlds and new adventures. Leslie couldn't help but think of Jess and Terabithia. It was hard to deny the similarity.

"We had a place" Megan began again. "There was this small river not far from where we lived. It wasn't much of a river but to us it was perfect. On one side there was a small piece of land that extended out into the water almost like a bridge. We just called it the island though. It seemed so much cooler as an island." Leslie saw a smile cross Megan's face. Her eyes seemed to gleam as she remembered her friend. "We generally stayed out of the water but it was kind of hard to resist during the summer" she added with a laugh. "Then just like you said things changed."

"What changed?" Leslie asked.

"We got older" Megan replied. "When we were in 8th grade I started making a lot of new friends, I went on my first date, which was a disaster by the way" she said smiling. The smile, however, faded as Megan's face seemed to lose its color. She sat silent for several moments before continuing. "I…I started to avoid Casey" she finally managed to say. "I made up excuses not to hang out or had my little sister tell him I wasn't home when he stopped by. Then…" Leslie could see Megan was struggling. She was fighting back the tears that wanted to fall.

"Megan you don't have to go on if you don't want" Leslie reassured her.

"Yes I do" Megan replied defiantly. "I want you to know what happened." She took another minute to regain her composure. "Casey never really made too many other friends, not close ones anyway. He wasn't treated very well either, he got bullied a lot. I started to feel ashamed of him, like he was making me look bad in front of my other friends." Leslie felt a sense of shame overcome her. The story was starting to hit too close to home. The parallels between her and Jess were eerie.

"Then one day in April…April 24th, a Saturday to be exact I came home after spending the day at the mall with some friends. My parent's were waiting for me with my sister. I knew the minute I saw my mom's eyes that something bad had happened." Leslie felt a sick sensation in her stomach. Though she knew the final outcome of the story part of her didn't want to hear it. Even though she never met Casey nor even heard of him until today, there was some part of her that hoped somehow everything turned out okay.

"Apparently Casey had gone down to the river by himself that morning" Megan said. "It had rained so much that it actually looked like a river. The island was completely underwater." Megan wrapped her arms tightly around herself. She seemed to see the events happening all over again. "According to an old fisherman who was out there that day Casey was walking along the bank and it just gave way. He fell in and got swept downstream. The current was too strong and he…he drowned." Megan buried her head into her chest as the tears flowed down her cheeks. "Casey drowned while I was at the mall eating pizza" she said as she looked up at Leslie. Her eyes glistened as she wiped the tears away. "He died thinking I hated him Les."

Leslie pulled her friend into an embrace and began to rock her gently like a baby. She found that she too was crying as she tried to comfort Megan. Leslie wanted to say something reassuring, she wanted to tell her friend that everything was going to be okay but how could she? Casey was dead and nothing was going to change that. Instead Leslie found that all she could offer was the warmth and security of an embrace. "God, Leslie, I miss him so much."

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It was the first time in a long time Jess could remember feeling that peculiar mix of exhilaration and fear. Flying across the creek was always fun but the element of danger always gave it a sense of foreboding. After making it across Jess continued running through the forest towards the tree house. He quickly passed the decrepit truck noting even more decay then he remembered. He kept running all the while fighting back the nagging images of Jason Simms and the six-pack. In a moment those images vanished as he suddenly found himself standing in front of the ruins of a castle. Jess stood transfixed as he stared at it. It seemed so small. It reminded him of the first time he set foot back in Lark Creek Elementary after being gone for several years. He was there to pick up his sister and remembered how the hallways seemed smaller, even the desks seemed almost minature in size. As he gazed at the tree house he wondered how on earth he and Leslie spen so much time in there? He walked up to the base and reached out to touch the tree. The old rope that hung off the side was still there but hardly seemed sufficient to hold his weight now. Still, he didn't need the rope to get to the tree house.

Jess quickly shimmied his way up the trunk and carefully made his way into the entrance. It felt barren and claustrophobic as Jess looked around. The "drapes" they had used on the windows had long since blown off allowing leaves and all manner of nature to find its way inside. Jess knelt down in the corner. Still present were the rations Leslie and he prepared in the event of some catastrophic event. Several old coffee cans were lined up against the wall each labeled with duct tape and a magic marker. Jess carefully picked up one of the cans. He held it as though it was an ancient piece of pottery from an archaeological dig. He pried off the lid and looked inside. Jess smiled and laughed out loud. Inside was half a coffee can worth of change. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters still sat undisturbed inside the can. It was a testament to two very over zealous twelve year olds ensuring they had all essential items in their castle. Jess couldn't remember how much money was actually in the can but he clearly recalled that at the time the young king and queen were certain it was enough to purchase any necessities they might need. He placed the treasury can back in its place and leafed through other long forgotten items. Several old maps Jess had drawn of Terabithia were carefully folded and placed inside a manila envelope like the artifacts of long ago expeditions. Propped up against the castle's back wall was a small bookshelf Leslie had built.

To his surprise several books still adorned the shelves. _The Chronicles of Narnia, The Once and Future King, _and several others were covered in dust but otherwise in decent shape considering. Jess picked up one of the books and carefully dusted it off. He opened it and found her name. It was written in bright blue marker. Leslie of course didn't just simply write her name. It was surrounded by a few smiley faces, something that looked like birds and two hearts, each with a pair of wings and a crown. Jess had never seen the image before. He was captivated by it. It was a simple design but pure and sincere. Why didn't she ever show it to him? Maybe she was embarrassed. Jess often felt embarrassed when he showed her his art, at least in the beginning. Jess looked over at the items he had been scrounging through. He ruffled through the papers and sure enough found an old pencil. The urge to draw often hit Jess like a sudden attack of the munchies. It was often easier to resist the munchies. He quickly began to sketch. For Jess drawing was like meditation. Once he started he didn't stop until he felt comfortable with his piece. That obsessive behavior led to more than one sleepless night and numerous complaints from May belle. Even Leslie was known to lose her patience with him when he went into his trance. He shut out the rest of the world and poured everything into his creation.

When Jess finally looked up he realized the light was fading. He looked over his shoulder and out the doorway and saw that the sun was setting.

"Oh crap" he said to himself. It dawned on him just how much trouble he was going to be in when he got home. The older Jess got the more responsibility his parents placed on him. He never understood why he was singled out. Neither Brenda nor Ellie were ever laden with so many chores. May belle was practically exempt and Joyce Ann was still too young. Over the past couple years the situation had only grown worse. Brenda moved out and Jess's mom took on a part time job. For Jess that equated to more work. Several evenings a week he had to be home to babysit his little sisters. In addition he often worked weekends at the hardware store with his dad. That forced him to quit the cross country team. He couldn't stay after school for practice or attend weekend meets. It sparked the worst fight Jess ever had with his father which in turn led to the longest grounding he ever endured. At that point though, grounding had little effect on him. Leslie was already gone and without running what else was there to care about? Jess quickly tidied up the already dirty tree house, gathered a couple items then set out for home.

* * *

**A/N: This chapter was a bit shorter than usual. However, I felt I covered what was necessary for this stage of the story. I'm pushing to stay on top of this story and not go several months in between chapters like I did on my previous story. Again, thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer- I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_

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Chapter 4

Leslie wasn't sure what could possibly possess someone to get up at the crack of dawn on a Saturday and proceed to do some form of very loud manual labor. After all it was Saturday and more than a bit cold outside. Shouldn't that warrant staying indoors, at least until a more normal hour? Yet, from underneath her covers and the pillow squashed over her head Leslie could still hear what sounded like someone chopping wood. It wasn't long before she heard the cries of her baby brother Matthew. Once he was awake there was no point in staying in bed. With a sigh Leslie crawled out from underneath her covers and immediately regretted it. The cold sent her scurrying for her robe. PT looked up from his position at the foot of Leslie's bed, watched his master run frantically around the room then returned to his slumber. Once secure in the warmth of her robe and slippers Leslie walked over to her window. She was determined to see who was up so early making such a racket.

She peeked through her curtains and looked around for the disturber of the peace. At first she couldn't see anyone. Whoever was making the noise seemed to have disappeared. From the corner of her eye, however, she caught the movement of a figure. Glancing towards Jess's house she saw him. Wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt Jess Aarons was carrying an armful of wood towards the back of his house. He vanished from view for a moment but quickly reappeared. Even from her window Leslie could see he was drenched in sweat. He must have been chopping wood for some time to work up such a sweat. She couldn't help but find herself attracted to him. Then again Leslie had been attracted to Jess for some time. The feelings she had for him never vanished, they just seemed to take a back seat to other things or other people.

"He must be in trouble" she said to herself. Jess's father often had him chop wood in the winter when he was being punished. Leslie could only wonder what he did to earn the punishment but she felt sorry for him. Megan's story from the evening before kept her up most of the night. She couldn't stop thinking of what her life would be like without Jess. What would she have done if Jess had died years ago like Casey? How would she have survived without him? That first year in Lark Creek would have been awful without Jess. Yet, in the past year the two had spoken not so much as a word to one another. Megan knew the awful pain of losing someone so close and was trying desperately to get Leslie to understand. As she watched Jess continue his forced labor she had a longing to run out to him. She wanted to hug him and tell him she was sorry and have things back to the way they used to be. Was that even possible now? Leslie could just hear Megan screaming at her had she actually asked the question. Megan's tragedy made a mark though. Leslie was beginning to realize she couldn't just let her friendship with Jess die. Things happened and words were said but that could be overcome.

Leslie turned away from the window and decided to go downstairs and eat breakfast. Her parents were bound to be up and PT wouldn't object to an earlier than usual meal. As soon as she turned the knob PT jumped out of bed and was immediately at her heels.

"Well look who's up" she said as she bent down to give her pooch a hug. Making her way to the kitchen Leslie heard her father going out the front door. Bill Burke loved to read the paper with a cup of coffee. It didn't matter if there was any food to eat with the coffee he seemed to find the greatest pleasure in just reading the paper and drinking coffee. Leslie understood the peace he found in the moment. It was the same when he was writing or when her mom was writing or when she was writing for that matter. She continued to the kitchen and found her mom busy making breakfast.

"Morning Judy" she said as she quickly relieved her mom of her baby brother.

"Morning Les" she said smiling. "Didn't expect you to be up so early" she said happy to have use of both arms again. Judy was proud of her daughter. Though going through the awkward and annoying teenage years she was clearly taken by her brother. She happily volunteered to babysit while Judy and Bill had a night out. They were grateful to not only have a daughter they trusted but one who willingly volunteered.

"Well, I couldn't sleep" Leslie said as she danced around the kitchen with Matthew in her arms. "I figured I might as well get up." Judy nearly laughed out loud when she heard that. Leslie had never been one to just get up. Even as a child she lingered in bed for as long as she could. She would never forget the times Jess pulled her out of bed to wake her up. Judy and Bill were just glad it didn't bother him to do it as it saved them the hassle.

"You seem awfully chipper this morning young lady" she said as she cracked several eggs into the frying pan. "You have something planned for today?" Leslie looked to her mom with a look of surprise.

"Just a ton of homework, study for a test, that kind of stuff" she answered. "Besides why shouldn't I be happy?"

"No reason" Judy answered. "It's just I was kind of worried about you last night. You and Megan for that matter." It suddenly occurred to Leslie that her parents probably heard the both of them crying the night before. The walls were notoriously thin in the Burke home. One couldn't so much as pass gas without the whole house knowing about it. PT found himself convienently blamed for such transgressions on more than one occasion.

"Everything's okay" Leslie said. "Megan just told me a really sad story about her past." Judy stopped scrambling the eggs for a moment and looked to her daughter.

"Are you sure everything is okay Leslie? You know you can talk to us about anything." Leslie knew her mom was concerned and had a right to be. Hearing two teenage girls crying has to be somewhat alarming to a parent.

"Megan was just trying to get me to understand something" she replied. "Don't worry it was actually a good thing." Judy nodded in understanding and returned to the eggs. Leslie walked with Matthew into the living room. Her father was hanging up his coat after retrieving the paper.

"Morning Les" he said surprised to see his daughter. "It's only just past six and here you are with your brother. What gives?" Leslie gave her father a slightly irritated glance.

"Why is it so unusual that I would be up at six o'clock on a Saturday?" she asked as Matthew began to fidget.

"Well, normally you prefer to keep later hours on the weekend" her father replied. "I've seen you sleep past noon before you know." Leslie sighed as her brother began to cry. "Here, I'll trade you" Bill said as he handed Leslie a book. "I found it out on the porch you must've dropped it on your way in last night." Leslie handed Matthew to her father and took the book. She slowly made her way to the golden room and sat down on the floor up against the wall. She stared at the cover and ran her hand over it. It wasn't one of her school books as she thought. In her hands Leslie held one of her favorite books, The _Chronicles of Narnia_. That in and of itself wasn't strange. To be holding a book she received from her grandmother as a child, one she cherished; a book she loved so much that she chose to share it with the one person that meant the most to her in the place that meant the most to them. This book was special. She carefully opened the worn cover and gasped. Leslie remembered the picture she had drawn, the two hearts each with a set of angel wings and a crown. In those early months of their friendship Leslie had begun to have different feelings for Jess, feelings that stretched beyond friendship. Of course she never told him or showed him the picture that would have been unthinkable. Leslie clearly remembered thinking that Jess would figure she was crazy and never talk to her again.

Yet, here she was several years later staring at a new drawing in the same old book. The drawing depicted a bridge that led the way into a majestic kingdom with a castle far off in the distance. Birds flew amongst the crowd of Teribithians. Standing just in front of the bridge was a beautiful queen. She had the wings of an angel and wore a gorgeous crown. The queen was smiling and radiated warmth and love. Around her neck was a small necklace with a peace symbol attached. The artwork was impressive. She always admired Jess's gift as an artist but he was clearly much better than she remembered. Leslie felt a tear fall down her cheek as she gazed at the picture. Jess had brought the book back to her. He had gone to Terabithia and found it, drawn a breathtaking picture of her as queen and returned it. Leslie was overwhelmed with the longing to run to him. Why did they ever let their friendship fall apart? Clearly Jess still had feelings for her and she was more than aware of her own emotional attachment to him. Maybe Jess was sending a message with the drawing.

Leslie looked back to the picture. She quickly focused on the peace symbol on the queen's necklace. In the sky Jess didn't simply draw birds; instead he specifically depicted doves. Leslie continued to scan the picture going over each and every detail. In the crowd where various Terabithians awaited for their queen's crossing there stood a boy. He was the only person in the crowd that didn't quite fit. Dressed in jeans and a t-shirt he seemed out of place. Yet, Leslie saw that the boy was wearing a crown; not a crown of gold but one crafted from olive branches. Jess was sending her a message. The symbols of peace were blatantly obvious now. A peace sign, doves and the olive branch all intermingled in the portrait. Jess wouldn't go to the trouble of crafting such a picture and deliberately leave it for her to find if he wasn't trying to say something.

Leslie jumped up and ran through living room to the front door. She bolted out of the house so fast her father barely had time to say her name. The outside air felt like little daggers of ice but Leslie didn't care. She ran as fast as her bedroom slippers would allow. She crossed over the drive that led up to the Aaron's house and saw him. He was heading back to retrieve the last pile of wood when he saw her. They both stared at each other. Leslie thought it must be a comical sight with her in pajamas, a bath robe and slippers and Jess in a t-shirt and jeans drenched in sweat. Jess, of course, was the more caught off guard. After placing the book on her porch the night before he wished for such a response but never believed it would actually happen. Yet, Leslie was standing in front of him, in the freezing cold with the book in her hand.

"Hi Jess" Leslie said as she began to shiver.

"He Les" he replied. Leslie couldn't help but blush. Plenty of people called her 'Les' but Jess was the first to use it frequently. She always regarded it as his pet name for her.

"I see you got the book" Jess said feeling instantly stupid for saying it. 'Of course she has the book you idiot' he chastised himself.

"Yeah, thank you" Leslie smiled. "I saw your drawing, its beautiful Jess" she said now causing him to blush.

"Thanks," Jess wanted to ask if she understood his message but felt afraid. What if she didn't see it? He didn't want to embarrass her or himself. "Did you…um…"

"I got the message" she answered cutting him off. "Peace." Smiles lit up on both their faces as their hearts began to race. Leslie suddenly forgot she was cold and Jess began to sweat even more. In their awkward silence the teens were unaware that their reunion was being watched ever so closely. Mary Aarons and Judy Burke developed a good friendship over the years. They shared the ups and downs of raising children and Mary proved quite helpful once Judy found out she was pregnant with Matthew. They also shared the heartache of watching their children drift apart as adolescence took its toll. Yet they both held firmly to the belief that Leslie and Jess couldn't stay apart forever no matter how hard they tried. As soon as the two mothers saw the pair talking it was a race to see who would call the other first.

"_Mary, did you see them?"_

"_Hi Jude, yeah I saw them."_

"_I was wondering why Leslie was so happy this morning. How do you think this came about?"_

_"I don't know but Jess was in a surprisingly good mood this morning considering the punishment he got for coming home late."_

_"Well we can't just let them stand out there in the cold."_

_  
"No, Leslie's in her pajamas and Jess isn't even wearing a coat."_

Jess and Leslie were fumbling over their words when they heard the front door of the Aarons house open. Jess felt for sure it was his father coming to remind him that he was grounded and had work to do. Leslie thought the same. To their surprise and relief Jess's mom came out the door and quickly made her way to them. Mary smiled warmly as she looked at her neighbors daughter.

"Hi Leslie" she said giving the girl a hug. "It's good to see you again." Leslie felt positively giddy at the reception she received and a huge sense of relief.

"Hi Mrs. Aarons, it's good to see you too" she replied as she returned the hug. Mary next turned her attention to her son.

"Jess, I want you to go get cleaned up" she said in a more stern tone. "Take a shower, put on some clean clothes, you know the drill." Jess felt the air in his bubble fly out of him. He didn't expect his mom to order him away like that especially considering how she welcomed Leslie. After being separated from his best friend for so long Jess couldn't simply let this opportunity slip by. He had to do something.

"Mom, please can't I just have a few minutes to talk with Leslie…" Mary quickly cut him off.

"Do as I say young man and I suggest you hurry" she said. "Once you're ready you'll be joining Leslie for breakfast at her house."

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hello all, I've been away from this site for some time. I won't bother anyone with excuses for my absence but I apologize to those who read and followed my stories. I apologize for leaving them unfinished. However, I never lost interest in the stories and recently watched_ Bridge to Terabithia_ for the first time in years. That combined with a couple emails I received encouraging me to continue rekindled my fervor. Now, as for "The Run". Chapters 1-4 are the same, nothing has been changed. However, beginning in chapter 5 I have made changes. I had concerns about chapter 6 when I originally published it and it is now being rewritten as well. The changes are subtle in chapter 5 and 6 but enough to steer the story in the direction originally intended. Again, thank you to all who have read my story and continue to do so.**

_Author's disclaimer: I own no rights to Bridge to Terabithia and will in no way profit from this fanfiction._

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**Chapter 5**

Jess found himself frantically showering, brushing his teeth, debating whether or not to shave all the while wondering if Leslie was as nervous as he was. When he left the book on her doorstep he had no idea what Leslie's reaction would be. Yet, being back in Terabithia after such a long absence had an effect on him. Jess remembered how Leslie opened up his world by teaching him to keep his mind wide open. She taught him what true friendship was by becoming his best friend. Why then did he hold it against her for making new friends, for sharing herself with others? Was it just selfishness? Why did he get so angry when she began dating? Why did he feel such a burning hatred towards Jason Simms?

Jess knew the answers but wasn't ready to admit it. The fact that he liked Leslie was a foregone conclusion. Of course 'like' wasn't really the appropriate word. His sisters used to tease him mercilessly about how he was in love with his weird best friend. At first it bothered him but in time he actually grew to like it. Naturally he never let his sisters know this. Yet, as close as he and Leslie were he never told her how he felt. Jess just figured there would always be time. After all they spent nearly everyday together…at least they used to. It was then that the images of the six-pack flashed through his mind. He felt his anger growing again.

"Stop it Jess!" he scolded himself. "For crying out loud just drop it" he continued. He didn't want his emotions flying out of control. The last time he and Leslie were actually together as friends he made that mistake which prompted a return volley on her part. That was a day Jess couldn't forget even though he tried time and again. As he was getting dressed he began to wonder what his mom meant when she said 'nice clothes.' Did that mean 'church nice' or just 'nice'? Jess decided to stay causal. He was going to need his church clothes the next day anyway. After spending a ridiculous amount of time looking at his hair Jess grabbed his shoes and headed downstairs. He found his mom waiting for him in the kitchen. Luckily being Saturday his sisters were still asleep. The last thing Jess wanted to face right now was the never ending questions of his two youngest sisters. May Belle was starting to grow out of it but Joyce Ann was in full blown "20 questions" mode.

"Um, well…do I look okay?" he asked his mom as he fidgeted with his hair.

"You look fine" she said. "Now stop messing with your hair." Mary Aarons straightened her son's shirt and fixed his hair. Jess noticed that for the first time his mom wasn't looking upon him with that sad, worried expression he was so familiar with. Instead she was smiling and seemed genuinely excited.

"What are you smiling about?" Jess asked suspiciously.

"I can't be happy that my son is reuniting with his best friend" she replied. Jess had to admit it was nice to see his mom smiling again. It seemed more often than not she just worried. The Aarons never seemed to prosper no matter how hard they worked. Things were better now then in the past especially with his dad's promotion however the struggle still ensued. Yet, somehow amidst all the worry Mary managed to help set-up this breakfast and was almost as happy about it as Jess.

"Thanks mom" he said giving her a quick hug. With that Jess hurried out of the house and made the short trip to the Burke home.

Before he made it to the front porch Jess could hear PT barking and pawing at the door. He looked forward to seeing the prince of Terabithia. The little fur ball always made Jess happy. He seemed to gain the greatest satisfaction just by simply being with his king and queen. Jess stood still for a moment in front of the door he had been through a thousand times. He was actually nervous. A home he once felt as comfortable in as his own now caused him anxiety. He took a couple deep breaths then rang the doorbell. From within he could hear Mr. Burke trying to calm down PT with no luck. As soon as the door opened Jess was rushed by a runaway canine. He was soon swarmed in dog kisses.

"I'm glad to see you too PT" Jess said as he laughed. If nothing else he was reassured that PT missed him.

"It's good to see you Jess" Bill Burke said warmly. "Come on in, breakfast is ready." Jess looked around as he entered the house and was comforted to see most was as he remembered. Of course the presence of a baby was different but Jess was more than familiar with having a baby around. Mr. Burke guided Jess to the kitchen with PT close at his heels. The aroma of scrambled eggs and coffee filled the air. Jess was certain he could smell bacon as well. As he entered the kitchen he saw Mrs. Burke tending to her son.

"Oh, hi Jess" she said as she cleaned off Matthew's face. "Go ahead and have a seat Leslie will be here in a second." Jess sat down in the chair that looked as though it had been added specifically for him. With the exception of little Matthew everything was the same. Mr. Burke was patiently waiting for the coffee maker to finish a new pot while PT hovered around the table hoping for a scrap or two. Jess felt his stomach grumble as he eyed the wonderful setup sitting in front of him. Before he could begin drooling however he heard Leslie coming down the stairs. He immediately stood up and felt his heart begin to beat faster. His face began to feel hot and Jess was sure his palms were starting to sweat. He couldn't believe how nervous he was. It wasn't as if Leslie was a stranger. Then again given their recent history it was understandable.

Leslie walked into the kitchen and immediately saw Jess. She seemed a bit nervous as well but gave him that beautiful smile which probably made his face turn an even darker shade of red. She was dressed casually which put Jess at ease as to his choice of clothing. Among her jeans and sweatshirt he noticed Leslie was still wearing her fuzzy slippers. Her hair was shoulder length and worn straight. Jess loved it when she wore it that way. He also loved it when she put it into a ponytail. Then again Leslie could shave her head and Jess would love it all the same.

"Hi Jess" she said walking over to him.

"Hi Leslie" he replied pulling out a chair for her.

"Thank you" she said smiling. Jess sat down in the seat next to her noticing that he had the full attention of Mr. and Mrs. Burke. Even Matthew seemed captivated with the boy sitting next to his sister. Judy and Bill both took their seats while Matthew continued to stare at Jess.

"Don't mind him Jess, he's just curious" Bill said as he began to eat.

"Oh, it's no problem Mr. Burke" Jess replied. "Joyce Ann used to stare at me during every meal at that age." Jess smiled at the newest addition to the Burke family. It was the first real time he had seen the child. He could only imagine what the boy would be like when he grew older. Would he take after his sister? Would he have the same adventurous spirit and vivid imagination? Only time would tell. "Thanks for inviting me over" Jess said as he began to eat.

"Well, we're glad to have you Jess" Judy said. The meal went rather fast as Bill and Judy both made a point to finish quickly and leave the two teens alone. Jess helped Leslie clean up the dishes before they retreated to the gold room. Jess was immediately taken with a sense a déjà vu. It was similar to the feeling he got during his visit to Terabithia the day before. He walked over to the wall where he and Leslie sat eating popcorn together all those years before.

"I was sitting right there when I was looking at your drawing" Leslie said as she walked up behind him. "It's always kind of been a special place for me" she said.

"It is a special place" he replied. "I'll never forget that day. It's one of my best memories." He turned to Leslie and looked into her eyes. She was so beautiful. He wanted to tell her but the words wouldn't come. Leslie took Jess by the hand and led him over to the couch. They sat down and for a moment just enjoyed being so near one another. They were both surprised at how natural it felt. The last time they were sitting so close was the day they had a fight. A fight in what seemed a series of fights at that time. It was by no accounts something either cared to remember but something they couldn't forget.

"Jess" Leslie said breaking the silence. "Why did you draw that picture for me?" As soon as she asked it Leslie thought it must have sounded stupid. "I mean, I know why you did it but…what made you do it?" Jess looked down at his hands for a moment before turning back to her.

"I miss you Les" he answered. "I…I really miss you." He said it with such forthright honesty Leslie felt a tear form in her eye. "I hate not being able to talk to you and tell you about how I'm feeling. I miss our runs together, going to the movies, giving Kyle a hard time about the Marines" they both laughed at that. Kyle often didn't know when to stop talking about his life long obsession of being a Marine. Once Jess and Leslie had their fill of Marine Corps history they usually counterattacked with tales of how much superior the Army was to the Marines. It generally kept him quiet for about half an hour.

"I miss you too Jess" Leslie said taking his hand in hers. "You're the best friend I've ever had. I don't want to lose you." Leslie hesitated for a moment not knowing if she should tell him about Megan's story. She didn't want to violate Megan's trust and really didn't want to bring up any member of the six-pack. Then again maybe that's exactly what she needed to do. After all the problems between her and Jess started with her growing popularity. Leslie decided that if there was to be any future for them they had to deal with the past.

"Jess, I know I did some things that…hurt you" she began. "I never intended to. I certainly never wanted to. It's just…"

"You got popular" Jess added. "You made a lot of new friends."

"Yeah" Leslie answered softly. "I…I kind of pushed you aside sometimes without even realizing it. I'm sorry Jess but…"

"You had every right to make new friends Leslie" he said interrupting her. "I was jealous it's as simple as that. Even my dad told me so" Jess added reluctantly. "I just hated having to share you with other people. I felt like you were leaving me behind ya' know…like I was going back to being the same lost, lonely kid I was in fifth grade." Leslie could identify with Jess's feelings. When they first met Kyle she often felt jealousy if they went out together without her. Every afternoon or weekend she spent with the six-pack was the same sensation for Jess. "I was just so used to it always being you and me that I…I couldn't handle it when everything changed."

Things did in fact change for Leslie and Jess as they got older. Leslie shot up the social ladder while Jess simply maintained a status quo. Leslie branched out and took part in everything from drama and music to cross-country and kickboxing. Friends seemed to be everywhere as did potential boyfriends. Other guys were starting to figure out what Jess had known all along, just how beautiful Leslie Burke was. Of course they didn't love her like he did but since when did love factor in to anything in high school.

Jess meanwhile occupied a much lower rung in the social hierarchy of Lark Creek High School. There were people he talked to on a regular basis but outside of Kyle none of them were friends. He took part in cross-country and track and grew to love it. It was as much an outlet for him as drawing. In the beginning when he was training with Leslie it was the single happiest experience Jess ever had with anything connected to school. Yet, in time even that vanished.

"Jess" Leslie asked tentatively. "Why did you get so upset when I started dating?" Jess knew this question was bound to come up sooner or later but that didn't make it any easier to answer. He had already admitted to being jealous of Leslie's friends but the matter of boyfriends was different. He wasn't sure how to answer. He couldn't just come out and say, "Because I love you Leslie that's why." As much as he wanted to say it Jess could not bring himself to say it.

"I guess once you started dating I…uh…well, I felt like it was all over."

"All over?" Leslie asked perplexed. "What do you mean?"

Jess couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes. He felt ashamed for things he said in the past and even more so for what he didn't say. He did not want to make those same mistakes again. He looked up into her eyes and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "Maybe it was just jealously but…I really felt like you having a…boyfriend would put the nail in the coffin…so to speak." It was a morbid analogy but one Jess felt was honest. "I…I really care about you Leslie. You're very important to me. You're not just a friend." Leslie felt her stomach fill with butterflies. Jess's sincerity was evident and though he didn't exactly say it she was fairly sure he was telling her that his feelings extended beyond friendship.

"You're not just a friend to me either Jess" she said. "You've never been just a friend." It was true that in spite of a whole pack of friends nobody ever replaced Jess Aarons. Her father often said that in a lifetime a person would be lucky to have one true friend. By true Bill Burke meant a friendship formed in childhood that lasted a lifetime. Anybody that knew the pair figured Jess and Leslie would still be friends when they graduated high school. Yet, their friendship nearly imploded. Leslie knew it couldn't be repaired overnight but she was thankful that the opportunity to fix it at all was now occurring. Acting on impulse she reached out for her friend and embraced him. Leslie wasn't exactly sure how Jess would respond but a hug was as good a place to begin the healing process as any. Judging by the way Jess held her she knew he agreed.

_"Hi Mary, you won't believe it! They're hugging!"_

"_Hey Jude, oh that's wonderful. I'm so happy they worked it out"_

"_I know, I don't know who was more nervous them or me. But when I peeked in they seemed as happy as could be" _


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_ and will in no way profit from this fan fiction.

* * *

Chapter 6

Jess and Leslie quickly donned their winter layers and headed into the cold December morning. The clouds gave way to sunshine but the wind ensured they didn't forget what time of year it was. They huddled near each other as they walked down the worn and well remembered road. They maintained a brisk pace and talked nearly non-stop. All the frustration and confusion of their separation seemed to melt away as they remembered all the adventures they had as king and queen of Terabithia. From the first day they discovered their kingdom to the last time they set foot in their realm together each was delighted with the prospect of returning triumphantly together. Jess recounted his tale from the day before when he breached the walls of their castle for the first time in what seemed an eternity. Leslie could hardly contain her excitement at seeing the tree house. It was a symbol of their friendship from the very beginning. She thought back on how much fun they had fixing up the old, dilapidated fortress. It was hard work, especially for fifth graders, but the fun they had made it all worthwhile. As they passed through the gate into the open field they felt the full blast of the icy wind. They both agreed that the weather seemed more tolerable when they were younger. The cold, however, could not dampen their spirits. It was as if Terabithia was calling them home and nothing was going to stop them.

Once the rope came into view Leslie decided it was time to see if Jess was still as fast as he used to be.

"Race you to the rope" she said as she sprinted ahead of him. Jess wasn't caught entirely off guard. In fact he was hoping she would challenge him. Jess bolted after her and felt an excitement he had not felt in years. The passion for running combined with the presence of his best friend was exhilarating. Leslie still had that same beautiful, natural stride. She seemed to run effortlessly even with a heavy coat on. Though he pushed himself as hard as he could she was easily outpacing him. As much as Jess was enjoying the moment the time away from running had taken a toll on his conditioning. By the time he finally reached the creek he was exhausted. He couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed when he looked up to see Leslie smiling with the rope in hand.

"Maybe you need to start running with me again" she said as she poked him playfully in the belly.

"Well, as I recall" Jess said trying to catch his breath. "It was you that joined me on my morning runs." Leslie laughed and looked across the creek. She felt that same giddy excitement she had when they first used the enchanted rope. Of course at the moment she was so overjoyed just to be with her best friend again that it really didn't matter what they were doing. However, Terabithia was magical. Even the cynical eyes that so often came with adolescence could not erase the hold of such a place. The forest was a living symbol of everything that was good and worthwhile in a world that two children years earlier had all but lost faith in. Leslie steadied herself on the old log they used as a launch pad. She tightened her grip and was ready to soar when she felt Jess's arm wrap softly around her waist.

"Just a minute Leslie" he said nervously. "I…I felt the rope give a bit when I swung over yesterday." Leslie barely heard what Jess just said to her. The only thing she was aware of was his arm around her waist. She turned and looked him in the eye. His soft brown eyes reminded her of an adorable puppy yearning to be held. Her heart was beating so fast she wondered if Jess could hear it.

"Always looking out for me aren't you?" she said smiling.

"Well, uh…yeah, I mean…I just don't want anything…uh…to happen to you." Jess answered nervously. Only now was he aware that his arm was wrapped around Leslie's waist. He was looking out for her. Even that first time across the rope on that magical day years earlier Jess worried. He always feared the rope would break at some point. If there was anything positive that came from their abandonment of Terabithia it was the end to his worry. It was a concern Leslie was long aware of and she sensed it now.

"Jess" Leslie said taking his hand. "You're thinking too much. Come on let's go to the tree house." In true Leslie fashion she once again secured the rope and in an instant flew across the creek. Jess watched as she effortlessly landed on the other side. He breathed a sigh of relief and quickly made the trip across the creek. The pair raced to their castle. Leslie was amazed at how easily she navigated the forest. Though the woods were relatively barren compared to the summer months it was still her first visit in years. Yet, it was as if no time had passed. The exhilaration of seeing the tree house again was overwhelming. She slowed her pace and stopped once it came into view.

"A little bit different huh?" Jess said as he walked up beside her.

"Yeah, it…it looks so small" she said astonished. "How did you get inside?" she asked. "It doesn't look like it would support us now." Jess was surprised at Leslie's tone. She sounded cautious, almost hesitant. It was in stark contrast to her previous excitement. Yet, Jess knew exactly how she felt. The shock of seeing their child hood playground after so many years away was indeed a bit perplexing. Everything was the same yet it wasn't. Having already been in the tree house and assured of its safety he took the opportunity to tease her a bit.

"Doth my ears deceive me or did I just hear a word of doubt from my queen?" Jess walked over to the tree and quickly scurried up to the tree house. "Come my queen, your castle awaits."

Leslie felt a little embarrassed that her usually overly cautious friend just gave her a taste of her own reckless behavior. Yet, she took the lesson good naturedly and followed her king. Jess of course watched her every move as she made her way up the tree. He took her hand as she climbed on to the porch and led her inside.

"That smell" she said as her eyes widened. "I remember that smell." The curious mix of pine, paint and paper filled her senses. A flood of memories transported Leslie back to those days when battling trolls and the dark master with her best friend were all that mattered; a time before the six-pack, dating, numerous extracurricular activities and all the other trials and tribulations of high school. She often wondered how much she had changed from that first day of school in Lark Creek. Was she the same Leslie Burke that befriended a young Jess Aarons? Growing pains were to be expected of course. Both Judy and Bill seemed on the whole happy with how she conducted herself as a teen. Of course they didn't know everything she did nor did she want them too. That was something that troubled her too.

"Les, you okay?" Jess asked somewhat curious at his friend's silence.

"Huh, oh yeah I'm fine" she replied. "I just got hit by a wave of nostalgia that's all." Jess nodded and pointed out the bookcase where a few of Leslie's books still remained. She knelt down and carefully pulled them out. Much like her copy of _The Chronicles of Narnia_ they were in surprisingly good condition. She opened a hardback and smelled that familiar scent that only an old book has. She loved that smell. This particular book had a twinge of some other odor which Leslie figured must be a result of weathering in the tree house. She carefully placed the book back in its home away from home and turned her attention to the line of coffee cans sitting against the wall.

"I can't believe I forgot about these" she said reaching for one of them. "Jess, do you remember that big bag of change we brought out here? All those hours we spent digging around our houses for coins and all that recycling we did?" Jess laughed and sat down beside her.

"Yeah I remember" he said smiling. Leslie's eyes were beaming with excitement. She was as nostalgic for their old hangout as he was. It felt good to see her so happy. It felt good to feel happy. Jess always managed to find the greatest pleasure in just seeing her smile. He loved watching her when she got excited. It was like watching fireworks with each blast bigger and better than the one before. As Leslie dug through the coffee cans one by one she noticed Jess staring at her with a very happy look on his face.

"What're you so happy about Mr. Aarons?" she asked playfully.

"Well…the two of us back in Terabithia together. It's kind of amazing…don't you think?" he asked.

"Yeah, it is" Leslie answered with a smile. "I have to admit that if someone told me yesterday that you and I would be sitting in this tree house in the middle of Terabithia I wouldn't have believed them."

"Me neither" Jess said nodding in agreement.

"This has been a much better day then I had planned." Jess agreed. His day would have been full of chores, chores and more chores with some homework on the side if his mom had not intervened. Of course if he had not gone to Terabithia in the first place, found Leslie's book, drawn the picture and left it on her porch they certainly wouldn't be together now. Oddly, the only reason any of it even happened was due to Jess's anger at seeing Jason Simms. In a bizarre way Jess had Jason to thank for everything that happened.

"It's kinda' funny that if I hadn't seen your friends yesterday in your driveway I never would've gone to Terabithia" he said. Leslie remembered seeing Jess while talking to Megan and Jason.

"Is that why you took off like a bat out of hell?" she asked.

"Well…yeah, kinda" he answered now embarrassed that he even mentioned it. Leslie knew well Jess's jealousy and even he himself admitted to it. Yet, she felt some of the euphoria of the moment wane as she contemplated the reactions of her friends to Jess and vice versa. . Reuniting with Jess was something she always wanted but it wasn't going to come without complications. Keeping the peace was something she did not look forward to.

"Jess, do you hate my friends?" she asked bluntly but with a hint of sadness in her voice. Jess knew this question was going to come up at some point he just didn't figure on that time being now. He didn't answer immediately. He didn't want to ruin the moment he was having with Leslie by returning to a subject that was bound to cause friction. It was a moment he had yearned for and now that it had arrived he didn't want to let go. Yet, the fear of losing Leslie again was even stronger than the desire to avoid.

"No, I don't hate your friends" he finally answered. "Well, I don't like Jason but I honestly don't even really know your other friends" he continued. "I guess I did hate them because you were their friend but…" Jess quit speaking and lowered his head.

"What is it Jess?" Leslie asked worried. She knew he was holding something back, something he was either afraid of or embarrassed by. "It's okay Jess you can tell me." He looked into her eyes and from the sincerity he saw found the strength to continue.

"My dad told me once that the whole mess between you and me was my fault because I was never honest with you" he said. "If I just had the guts to talk to you then the fight never would've happened." While it was possible that Mr. Aarons was right Leslie had no intention of agreeing with him. The last thing Jess needed was to have her agree with his father in a matter regarding Jason Simms.

"Talk to me about what?" she asked curiously.

"Well, just…talk to you" Jess answered. "You know how I am about…holding stuff in." It was a fact Leslie knew all too well. Jess was rivaled only by his father when it came to his stubborn streak. "I should've just told you that I felt like I was being left behind, that I was jealous. My dad said if anybody would understand me it was you." Leslie wasn't sure what surprised her more Jess's forthright admission or the insight of Mr. Aarons.

"We both made mistakes Jess" she said softly taking his hand. "At least we can talk about it now." Jess smiled and gently squeezed Leslie's hand.

"Now, as for my friends" Leslie began. "Jason can be…difficult sometimes but he's not a bad person Jess." Leslie wasn't sure if pressing the issue of Jason Simms was the best course of action. However, he was a primary source of friction and the sooner they dealt with it the better.

"Leslie you can't expect me to forgive him" he said giving her a serious look.

"It's not about forgiving him or even being his friend Jess" Leslie replied. "But he is still my friend and at some point you two are going to cross paths again." Jess knew she was right but that didn't make the pill any easier to swallow. If he was going to have any future with Leslie he was going to have to make his peace with her friends. He would have to face his jealousy and that was something he dreaded. Just thinking about Simms enraged him. How was he ever going to reconcile the fact that he was part of Leslie's life?

"He was your boyfriend Les" Jess said reluctantly. "He beat me up and humiliated me if you remember." Of course Leslie remembered. It wasn't one of the better days of her life. The confrontation was a long time in coming. Ever since Leslie began to branch out and make new friends' tension began to brew between the former king and queen. It was a small fire waiting to grow. One day in particular that fire found kindling and became an inferno.

"I remember Jess" she said softly. "But we all made mistakes that day." Leslie looked up to his face wondering what was going on beneath his furrowed brow. When upset Jess could become notoriously difficult to deal with; Leslie was desperately hoping she could keep that from happening.

"I should've never yelled at you like that" she said. "In the middle of the hallway in front of so many people, I lost my temper and…"

"Then I lost mine" Jess interjected. They both remained silent for a moment as the old, painful memory was brought to the surface. A wound that never healed was being torn open. "It was none of Jason's business Les" he said trying to hide his anger. "He never should've gotten involved." Leslie nodded in agreement.

"I know, I agree" she pleaded. "But imagine if he was yelling at me and you came around the corner and saw it? Don't you think it would…upset you?" Leslie asked.

"Well, yeah I'm sure it would but I wouldn't go beating the guy up" Jess fired back. He couldn't hide his anger any longer. To Jess it seemed Leslie was defending her ex-boyfriend. If anybody was wronged on that day surely it was him. How could she not see that?

"Jess, you threw the first punch" Leslie responded raising her voice.

"Only after he made fun of me, made everyone laugh at me! What was I supposed to do?" Jess turned away from her and folded his arms across his chest. The dam was bursting and he felt the familiar feelings of rage flowing through him. Leslie realized the conversation was quickly growing out of control. The last thing she wanted was to have another fight with her best friend. On the very day they reconciled it was the last thing their friendship needed. She moved next to him, took his hand and softly began to stroke it. If anyone knew how to calm Jess down it was Leslie Burke. A few soft words and a gentle touch and Jess turned to putty in her hands.

"I'm sorry Jess, I should've never let the fight happen" she said. "I should've stopped it but…I just stood there and watched like everyone else." It was a painful admission for Leslie. She never wanted the two to fight, in fact if she could have had her way Jess and Jason would have been friends. Yet, on that day the volcano erupted and like those around her she watched. For someone used to being in control of situations it was an uncomfortable experience. Jess, of course, suffered the humiliation of not only getting beat up but in front of a rather large group of classmates. That was something that had not occurred since the days of Scott Hoager and Gary Fulcher. It was a severe blow to his pride, which in and of itself was enough. Jess was every bit as proud and stubborn as his father. However, the fight in turn led to a suspension from school which only made his life at home that much more difficult. The two sat in silence both avoiding the eyes of the other. Leslie was afraid Jess might storm out of the tree house and just leave. Instead she felt his hand softly squeeze hers.

"You couldn't have stopped it Les" Jess finally said. "I wanted to hit him. I was so angry nothing was going to stop me. I just didn't count on him hitting back." Jess even managed to smile a bit despite the blow to his pride. Getting pummeled in front of Leslie wasn't the highlight of his high school life. However, she was with him right now trying her best to calm him down. It was working. She wanted their friendship back every bit as much as he did.

"I'm sorry Les" he said looking into her emerald eyes. "Like I said back at your house my jealousy got the best of me. I…I don't know why it bothers me so much it just does. I've never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. You're the only person that ever accepted me for who I am and…I guess when I thought I was losing you I just…went crazy." Leslie gave his hand a squeeze and rested her head on his shoulder. The sign of affection did not go unnoticed by Jess. He could feel his heart pound as a bead of sweat trickled down his forehead. If there were any lingering doubts in Jess Aaron's mind about his true feelings for Leslie Burke they were all but gone now.

"Maybe everything happens for a reason" she said. "Maybe we had to go through all of this to learn some kind of lesson." Jess pondered the thought for a moment. He often wondered why things were so difficult some times. Did all the ups and downs of life ultimately lead somewhere? He spent many nights lying awake wondering why his father treated him the way he did. Why did the best thing that ever happened to him almost drift out of his life like a leaf off a tree?

"It's an awful hard way to learn a lesson" he said resting his head against hers. "What did we learn anyway?"

"That being the king and queen of Terabithia isn't always going to be easy" Leslie answered. "We have responsibilities after all. But no matter how unfair it may seem or how much it might hurt at times, that pain is nothing compared to losing the best friend they ever had." Jess smiled as he began to realize just how lucky he really was.

"So in the end it made us stronger?" he asked.

"Yeah" she replied. "After all nothing crushes us."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to _Bridge to Terabithia_

* * *

Chapter 7

Jess and Leslie were both surprised and relieved that their reunion seemed to generate little interest outside of their inner circles. In a town as small as Lark Creek the majority of the students had known each other since elementary school. Therefore occasional whispers from those that remembered the pair from earlier times were expected. Even the old phrase "Jeslie" popped up now and again. By and large however they flew under the radar of high school gossip. This suited them both just fine. Neither wanted any undue attention. The teasing Jess endured from his younger sisters was more than enough for him. Leslie, on the other hand, had a rather large contingent of friends to deal with. There were already bad feelings between Jess and Jason the last thing the two friends wanted was to face any more conflict. In something of a role reversal Jess often seemed more relaxed than Leslie when it came to discussing her friends. He began to wonder if perhaps her friends were giving her a hard time.

"So, you think the six-pack is giving Leslie grief because you guys are friends again?" Kyle asked as he and Jess walked towards the line of school buses.

"I don't know" Jess replied. "She won't really talk about it. She usually just changes the subject whenever I bring it up."

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much Jess" Kyle said boarding their bus. "She's your friend not them." Of course Jess realized this but that didn't put his mind at ease. In the week since that return trip to Terabithia he had seen more of Leslie than the entire year before. He certainly had no complaints about that. However, she was clearly bothered by something and it took no great leap of faith to deduce that the six-pack was involved. She just wasn't herself.

"Maybe I'm just being paranoid" Jess said as he found his usual seat.

"That's a given Jess" Kyle replied jokingly taking the seat behind his friend. "If it bothers you that much just talk to her about it when you get home."

"I don't want to push her Kyle" Jess answered back. "Besides, she has cross-country practice today." As Jess stared out the window wishing he had a car he could hear Kyle frantically digging through his backpack.

"Well, since you mentioned running" Kyle said as he handed a tattered piece of paper to Jess. "I got a third member for our team."

"The team?" Jess asked confused. Kyle gave his friend a frown.

"The Lark Creek 10K?" Kyle said pointing to the paper. "Remember you agreed to be part of my team?" Jess did remember and felt bad for forgetting. Last week seemed like an eternity ago.

"Oh yeah, sorry" Jess said apologetically. "Who'd you get?"

"Somebody that can run" Kyle said mischievously. "Don't worry you'll meet'em tomorrow morning at our first practice." Jess wondered for a second if he had forgotten about this practice. For the life of him he could not remember Kyle mentioning it until now. Of course Jess had been somewhat preoccupied since his reunion with Leslie.

"Um, what practice Kyle?" Jess asked nervously.

"Tomorrow morning at zero five-thirty" Kyle answered quickly. "We're meeting up in front of your house." Jess searched his memory again. He was certain he would have remembered agreeing to this yet had no recollection of it. He really didn't want to disappoint Kyle any more than he already had so he figured it was best just to go along with his plan.

"Um…okay" he said sheepishly. Jess let his thoughts drift to Leslie as the bus continued on its way. He couldn't get his mind off her odd behavior. All the work he had waiting for him in the form of chores, babysitting and homework seemed trivial compared to his new worry. There was little he could do. It was unlikely he would even see her once he got home. Jess was also afraid of irritating his friend. He was terrified of causing any conflict with Leslie.

* * *

Leslie sat quietly in the passenger seat as she watched the last rays of sunlight fall below the horizon. It was Megan's day to drive and Leslie was thankful for it. She was too preoccupied to drive.

"Don't let him get to you Les" Megan said looking over at her friend. "Jason is just being a jealous jerk."

"I know" Leslie responded quietly. "I was afraid he was going to be difficult. I just didn't count on the others." The fact that Jason Simms would give her a hard time about Jess was a foregone conclusion. She expected that much. What she didn't expect was the grief she endured from the other members of the six-pack. Megan was the lone exception.

"Don't take it too hard Les" Megan said. "The others were just giving you a hard time. I don't think they really meant anything by it." Leslie wished she could believe her friend. She wanted to think it would all blow over. It was déjà vu all over again. Her thoughts drifted back to those early days when she first started making new friends. Since the fifth grade Jess had been her best friend for which she was not only happy but grateful. By the time Kyle entered their lives a couple years later she was beginning to find that other people appreciated her too. As time passed and adolescence raged Leslie realized she enjoyed having a multitude of friends. It didn't mean she cared any less for Jess or Kyle but rather enjoyed meeting new people, experiencing new things. It wasn't long before the first member of the six-pack came along and Leslie's world began to open up. It was all so exciting much like when she first met Jess. Getting to know new people fascinated her. In some ways it was like the thrill she remembered as a child each time she opened a new book. There was a whole new world to explore with each turn of the page.

The initial excitement of meeting Megan, a kindred spirit, was thrilling. Having been the new girl in school herself Leslie easily identified with Megan and quickly befriended her. The two hit it off immediately and before long the nucleus of the six-pack was formed.

Yet, the growth of Leslie's new social world almost brought about the closure of her old one. Now it seemed she was going through the process all over again. When she spoke to her father about the whole affair Bill Burke gave her a rather long winded answer that had something to do with being a teenager and all the growing pains that went with it. It didn't make any sense and Leslie figured asking her mom would probably result in a similar answer so she didn't bother.

Leslie wasn't the same girl she was a few years earlier nor was Jess the same boy for that matter. What if they couldn't get along now? How would they react when they had their first fight? Was another fight between Jess and Jason inevitable? The thoughts were like the proverbial snowball rolling downhill. One quickly turned into many until Leslie silently berated herself for doubting her instincts.

Megan could see the turmoil wash across her friend's face. Despite her outward appearance as a carefree spirit Megan knew well the anxieties that bubbled underneath the surface of Leslie Burke. Though Leslie was as strong willed as anyone she knew Megan felt her friend often gave too much credence to the opinions of her classmates. It was a subtle change she noticed over the years.

"Leslie" Megan chided. "Stop second guessing yourself. Just be happy you and Jess are friends again." Leslie gave a start, surprised by her friend's ability to read her expression so easily.

"Sorry" she said sheepishly. "I am happy it's just…"

"Just what Leslie?" Megan asked.

"What if this is just a one-way ticket to conflict?" she asked frustrated. "You saw how everybody reacted at lunch."

"Quit worrying about what other people think Les and just go with your feelings" Megan pleaded. "Remember the story you told me about the day you met Jess? You didn't care if the race was just for boys, you ran anyway. You beat everybody else and met your best friend in the process." Leslie smiled as the memory floated through her mind. That bold move had paid off in more ways than one. Of course Jess wasn't exactly happy with her on that particular day but her persistence eventually won him over. Leslie and Jess were both well aware that they "saved" each other in those first few months of friendship. If Leslie chose not to run that race, if she chose not to offer Jess that stick of gum then she never would have known true friendship. Likewise, had Jess chose not to return her book with a beautifully rendered sketch they would never have reunited. Perhaps Megan was right, following their instincts always worked in the past why start doubting them now?

"When did I become such a worry wart?" Leslie asked aloud.

"I was wondering the same thing" Megan replied with a laugh as she pulled into Leslie's driveway. "Now, here's what I want you to do. Get yourself cleaned up, make sure you use that strawberry lotion Jess loves so much, put on something nice but casual and go surprise him with a visit." Leslie nearly burst out laughing.

"Okay mom, can I at least eat first?" she asked as she began to giggle.

"Sure, just stay away from the Oreo's" Megan replied. Leslie gave her friend a confused look.

"Are you trying to say I'm fat?" she asked slightly offended.

"Oh please Les" Megan quickly answered. "It's just I know how you get when you start stressing over something. I've seen you plow through a whole bag of Oreo's single-handedly Miss Burke." Leslie blushed in embarrassment. It was true her fondness for the cookie cream sandwich went into overdrive whenever she began to worry incessantly. Jess picked up on her habit early on in their friendship and teased her relentlessly. He always threatened to do an 'intervention' if she didn't 'get clean'.

"How did you know Jess likes that lotion?" Leslie asked suddenly wondering just what her friend was suggesting.

"Give me some credit Les" Megan replied smiling.

"You do realize Jess and I are just friends" Leslie interjected. "We're just friends Megan."

"Of course I do" Megan answered. "For now anyways." Leslie smiled and shook her head. Megan was a romantic if there ever was one. She always believed there was more to "Jeslie" than simple friendship. In spite of the teasing Leslie was thankful for Megan. She had proven herself to be someone she could trust.

"Well, I make no promises concerning the Oreo's" Leslie said as she gathered up her backpack and gym bag. "But I'll let you know how the evening goes." Leslie said goodbye and headed towards the front door. She stopped for a moment and glanced over at Jess's house. She felt a warm, fuzzy sensation and smiled.

* * *

Jess was thankful that both Joyce-Ann and MayBelle were relatively well behaved this evening. His multitude of chores took longer than anticipated and he had yet to tackle the mountain of homework waiting for him. As he walked into the kitchen he poured himself a glass of milk and settled into a chair at the table. In front of him were several books one piled on top of the other. With a sigh he cracked open his American History text and began to read. Generally Jess liked history. Aside from art or cross-country when he was on the team he enjoyed history the most. It helped that his teacher made the class interesting. Tonight, however, he found the topic of Roosevelt's New Deal tedious. After only two paragraphs Jess was nodding off. If not for a knock at the front door Jess would have surely not awaken until his parents arrived home. He contemplated ignoring it. Kyle would have called before stopping by and it was too late for either MayBelle or Joyce Ann's friends. Yet, he knew if he ignored it and the stranger continued to knock his siblings would soon be running downstairs like a moth to a flame. He rose from his chair and groggily made his way to the door. The peephole had long ago ceased to be useful. Jess couldn't remember how it was damaged. His only memory was of the tirade that his father had upon finding its destruction.

Jess opened the door and was immediately happy he did.

"Leslie?" he said with a smile as wide as the Grand Canyon.

"Hi Jess" she replied clearly happy with his reception. "Is it okay…I mean can you have a friend over?" she asked.

"Of course" Jess replied as he welcomed her in. "You're always welcome Les, anytime." Jess led Leslie into the kitchen and pulled out a chair for her. "I was just doing some homework" he said as he offered her a glass of orange juice.

"Ah, American History" Leslie said leafing through his textbook. "Mr. Allen?"

"Yeah, I'm supposed to finish reading that chapter tonight but I'm not making much progress" he said taking the seat next to her. "How was practice?" Leslie knew how much Jess missed cross-country and was always eager to hear how the team was doing.

"Too long" she replied with a laugh. "I'm not exactly sure how the guy's team is doing but Megan is sure giving me a run for my money." Jess had no doubt that it was true. He remembered Megan being one of the better runners. If anyone was going to challenge Leslie as the top runner it was Megan.

"Well, somebody has to give you a challenge now that I'm gone" he said as he breathed in that wonderful strawberry scent. "Somebody has to keep you on your toes." Leslie smiled as she realized Jess was transfixed by the lotion. She made a mental note to thank Megan the next time she saw her.

"Yeah, well who's going to keep you on your toes for the Lark Creek 10K?" she asked mischievously. It was then that Jess remembered he was going to have an early morning. He silently cursed Kyle for getting him involved.

"I forgot all about that" he sighed. "I guess…wait, how did you know about that?" Jess asked realizing he never mentioned it to Leslie.

"Who do you think your other teammate is?" she beamed.

"You?" Jess asked delighted. "You're the third member?" Suddenly the early morning wakeup didn't seem so bad after all.

"Well who else did you expect Kyle to get?" Leslie asked. "I'm the fastest runner he knows" she said with a grin. Jess realized he was going to have to thank Kyle. Those early morning runs that he and Leslie shared were something he cherished. When they ended it was the loss of two things he loved dearly. Now, he was getting them back.

"Just wait 'till I'm back in shape Les" Jess said as he finished his glass of milk. "You owe me a rematch anyway."

"A rematch?" she asked befuddled.

"Yeah, to the rope" Jess answered as he poured himself another glass. "You had me at a disadvantage the other day."

"Anytime Aarons" Leslie said as she poked him in the stomach. "Just keep drinking that whole milk, it does a belly good."

"Give up the Oreo's and I'll give up the milk" he fired back as they moved into the living room.

"Okay, my Oreo habit is not that bad" Leslie retorted. "Between you and Megan you'd think I was some kind of crack whore."

"Ya' know Les, the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem" Jess said as he began to laugh. Leslie was starting to get a bit miffed at this obsession her friends seemed to have with taunting her weakness for the cookie. She found it difficult to be very angry, however, as Jess's laughter proved contagious.

"You're awfully spry this evening Mr. Aarons" she said taking a seat on the couch. "Are you sure that's just milk you're drinking?"

"Well I think the milk expired yesterday" Jess answered. "I like to let it age, really gives it a kick." Leslie burst out laughing. Jess was always at his comedic best around her. The duo knew how to make each other laugh and delighted in doing so. They were amazed at how easily they slipped back into old habits given the previous year of silence. It was a testament to the strength of their friendship. For the moment all their worries drifted away. Conflict with friends, chores, homework and any other concern vanished just as if they had swung on the enchanted rope and landed in Terabithia. Jess and Leslie were beginning to remember that the true gift of Terabithia was the bond it formed between them. Years after its discovery it still worked magic. It allowed them to reconnect and remember how precious and fragile a true friend really is.


End file.
